Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

what happens if your tongue weight is too much after you build your trailer?

I have the folding harborfreight trailer, it appears like i could undo a few bolts and drill new holes and slide the axle assembly forward a bit to offset the weight
any of you guys had to do this?

Grid Runner Adventures wrote:what happens if your tongue weight is too much after you build your trailer?

I have the folding harborfreight trailer, it appears like i could undo a few bolts and drill new holes and slide the axle assembly forward a bit to offset the weight
any of you guys had to do this?

If moving it anywhere, you'd want to move it back.

I took my chances and kept it in the stock location.

Either way, you can offset the trailer balance when you load it with gear.

Grid Runner Adventures wrote:what happens if your tongue weight is too much after you build your trailer?

I have the folding harborfreight trailer, it appears like i could undo a few bolts and drill new holes and slide the axle assembly forward a bit to offset the weight
any of you guys had to do this?

The best method I have seen for the HF trailer is add a 2x2 tounge extension that extends back to the first or second cross member. it fits betweem the plates on the end of the stock tounge.

if you move the axle back it adds even more tongue weight.

I missed 8 very important points

What are you towing with ?

What actually is the tongue weight ?

What does the trailer weigh ?

Are you towing at or near level ?

From nose to tail of the body only what is the length ?

From centerline of tire (dust cap ) to tail what is this measurment.

Is the galley heavily or lightly appointed and stocked?

Tongue box or not ? ( probably not the stock tongue is too damn short )

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I just lengthened mine and I really wish I had taken 2 minutes to drag out the bathroom scales and checked before and after !

After the tongue was lengthened 18" it actually seemed lighter as I lifted it up but this makes no sense. I can only attribute this to leverage a longer lever means less work to lift.

Here are the pics of my tongue repair







Chubby tows much nicer now and backing up is a breeze. I have now done this with all 3 of my tiny trailer and the 2x2 1/4 runs front to rear the rear was drilled and shimmed slightly to accept a 1 1/4 class 2 drawbar so accessories can be mounted at the rear.

...lotssa folks move it to the rear to offset a too light tongue...no reason, it couldn't be moved forward for the opposite reason...look for some of the posts on moving it rearward and apply to your situation keeping in mind such things as where the trailer folds and cross member placement............
madjack

k. ya my design just has a bench/bed in the back and the galley/shower/bathroom is in the front of the camper. so how... do you build a camper to see where the weight will be but the wheel wells.

cant quite figure that out heh.

DUH ! I should have looked in your album I was thinking teardrop. My ritz 14" camper is a front galley standie and the wheels are almost dead center of the body. A couple smart fellas here on the forum have built the bodies off frame and found the balance point. If you were to do this and move the axle centerline 10 to 12 percent of the body length to the rear after you find that point you should have an ideal tongue weight without being too heavy.

Well I can't find Andrew's balance sheet. Basically you guestimate your weight and get the tongue weight at or about 10-15% of the total. You really can do this but remember that paint and screws add weight.......

Maybe someone has Andrews sheet???????????

http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/t ... tear81.htm


Jeremy

ya but you have to build wheel wells in if you build it off frame still ? do you just build it and cut them out after the fact ?

You can compensate for a heavy toungue build like the one in your album by moving the holding tanks to the rear of the trailer.....Boxcar...

there's an idea I could put the two golf cart batteries back there to balance out as well

rainjer wrote:http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/teardrop/tear81.htm


Jeremy

Oh goody---the trailer balance spread sheet!
Thanks Jeremy! Hey guys if we all bookmark this it will not get lost again......

Grid Runner Adventures wrote:there's an idea I could put the two golf cart batteries back there to balance out as well

At the risk of getting criticized for advocating "cat skinning", there is more than one way to skin a cat (or achive proper trailer balance). Get as much of the weight of your trailer as close to the axle as possible.

Yer on the right track now.

Cheers,

Gus